Federico Chiesa plays no role on Tuesday evening in Liverpool’s Champions League collision with Galatasaray in Istanbul and Liverpool head coach Arne Slot explained why.
Chiesa, fresh from scoring in Selhurst Park on weekends, is not included in the travel party with 21 players, a decision that surprises supporters
The 27-year-old Italy International trained on Monday morning with his teammates in the AXA Training Center and seem sharp during the open session. But only a few hours later, when Liverpool boarded their flight to Turkey, Chiesa was not there.
There were reports that the absenteeism was a voluntary call from Arne Slot, not one forced by fitness issues, despite the fact that Chiesa was recently included in the European schedule of Liverpool after the seasonal ACL injury of Giovanni Leoni.
Chiesa’s absence feels even more striking in the light of his recent versions. In Saturday’s 2-1 defeat in Crystal Palace, he came from the bank in the 74th minute to replace Florian Wirtz. Within minutes he had left his mark, let Liverpool give the hope to save a point.
What then happened, the competitive advantage of Chiesa summarized. Instead of going to the end to celebrate, he took the ball out of the net and sprinted back to the middle circle, gesturing to teammates to restart quickly. It was a small moment, but a telling behavior of a player who was not willing to settle for a draw, determined to push his side to victory, reminds a lot of his song “He came to win”
As fate would like, Palace hit again deep in the stopping time to grab all three points. But Chiesa’s reaction illustrated the mentality that made him a valuable figure in the team: sharp, intense and ruthless ambitious.
His contributions are not isolated to that game. Only four days earlier, in the League Cup against Southampton, Chiesa delivered two assists in a 2-1 win, which demonstrated his ability to create and complete. In all competitions so far this season, Chiesa has six performances, two goals and two assists solid returns given that many of those performances have been from the bank.
Arne Slot spoke about the omission of Chiesa and offered a simple explanation.
“He got a little lump, I think the word is, in the last game against Palace, he tried it, but he couldn’t end the session, so we decided not to take it because it is Chelsea within a few days.”
Earlier in his career, he had his considerable part of the injury problems, a player that Liverpool does not like not to use too much.
Nevertheless, the decision inevitably feeds the debate. Given his sharpness against Palace, some expected that he would play a decisive role of the bank in Istanbul, especially in what promises to be a fiery, nicely balanced match. Slot’s Liverpool has regularly been in close competitions this season, with late goals that are often crucial. Chiesa’s impact profile quickly, direct, decisive seems to be tailor -made for such scenarios.
On paper, Galatasaray Away seems to be the type of fixture where the qualities of Chiesa could have been useful. The Turkish champions are notoriously aggressive at home, encouraged by a raw crowd that can swing competitions with its intensity. Liverpool is likely to be confronted with spells of defensive pressure, but they will also find the space on the countertop in the game.
Chiesa’s ability to exploit broken game, bring the ball into pace and finish finishly, makes him a valuable late game option. Even with Hugo Ekitike again available after his domestic suspension, Slot will now rely on a slightly reduced set of attacking alternatives from the bank.
For Chiesa, the situation is now another memory of the competitive depth within the Liverpool team. He delivered when he is called, but to become a consistent fixture in competitions with high bets, he may not only have to stay fit, but also tactically forward and structurally in the plans of Slot.
For now, Liverpool goes into the boiler of Istanbul without him. His absence may not define the game, but it will certainly be felt if, if so often this season, the game hangs on fine margins in the last quarter of an hour.
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